Jesus Crushes Satan
Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:1-15
Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
We can tell from the story in Genesis 3 that a conflict was already going on behind the scenes when Adam and Eve sinned. As Revelation 12:7 describes it, “War broke out in heaven.” The devil, or Satan, rebelled against God and was thrown out with his rebellious followers. And they have been trying ever since to rule the world in their way, battling against God and trying to drag us humans along with them.
The serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to sin is described in Revelation 12:9 as “that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.” He tempted God’s children, created in God’s image, to disobey the Lord, and we caused a lot of grief for our Father.
But the devil and his destructive forces are really no match for God. God sent his own Son, Jesus, to be born as a human being. And Jesus’ mission was to rescue his siblings from the mess they got into when they fell into sin. He laid down his own life to pay the price for human sin. As he did that, he disarmed the devil’s “powers and authorities . . . triumphing over them by the cross.” Then Jesus rose again, victorious over death, so that we can have eternal life with him (1 Corinthians 15:55-56)!
We still face battles with temptations today. What do you struggle with? Alcohol, greed, porn, abuse, power? These and more create spiritual battles. Call on Jesus, who won the battle for us.
Lord Jesus, help us to share in your victory over evil today. Amen.
About the author — Kent Van Til
Kent Van Til was a missionary in Costa Rica. He taught theological ethics both there and in the USA. He is the author of four books. The most recent is a spiritual biography of his grandmother entitled, "A Name for Herself: A Dutch Immigrant's Story." Kent likes to fish, hunt, make music, and entertain his grandchildren.
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